The group of students from the University of Virginia would like to thank the Treasure Beach community for their warm hospitality during our stay. The relationships we have built with the students at Sandy Banks as well as the local community members will have a lasting impact on us. Treasure Beach holds a special place in our hearts and we hope to continue this relationship. Once again, thank you for making our experience unforgettable and please stay in touch.
Here are a few pictures from the trip.
Taylor and I worked with the 1st graders.
They enjoyed learning to play chess, even though they were missing some pieces.
Jack, the images didn't come through. Can you upload them again. Make sure that they're not really huge or the server will probably time out.
Thanks for sharing.
-TBNet
Treasure Beach was such an amazing experience. The people were incredibly friendly and the hospitality was so generous. Working with the kids at Sandy Banks Primary School was great because we not only did schoolwork, but built relationships that will have a lasting impact on me and hopefully on the children as well. We plan on staying and touch and writing letters with them.
I would definitely love to travel to Treasure Beach again. It holds a great combination of local culture and incredible site-sees and activities: the sunset cruise, cliff jumping, the boatride to black river, and of course the beautiful beaches!
I want to thank Treasure Beach for such a fantastic stay and please stay in touch.
Going to Treasure Beach for Alternative Spring Break was the most fun I have ever had in my life. That is the best way to describe it, and it was far from an overstatement. The people, the beach, the landscape, the FOOD, everything was surreal. I've thought about how amazing it was everyday since I got back home, and am dying to go back.
Treasure Beach was absolutely AMAZING. I can honestly say there is no place I would have rather gone than to Jamaica for my Spring Break. Weeks later, I still remember every day distinctly and fondly...and I think people may now be getting tired of hearing me talk about it nearly every day.
I loved building relationships with the children and the people of Treasure Beach. I'll consider myself blessed if I can find a way to come back and reconnect with the lovely people that I met during Spring Break.
Visiting the children and seeing the sights of Treasure Beach was an unbelievable experience, and I am so thankful to those who made it possible. I hope that we were able to make a difference there in some small way, but know that you have definitely made a very positive impact on us and our lives here in Charlottesville.
My time in Treasure Beach will definitely be one of the most memorable experiences of my life. This was my second year going and I feel I got even more out of it the second time. It was so great to see students I had met last year and continue to build relationships with them and new students. I truly believe that they taught me just as much as I taught them. Thank you so much to the Treasure Beach community for your warm hospitality; you made me feel right at home. I look forward to interacting with the community again.
I can honestly say that I've never experienced anything like our Alternative Spring Break trip to Treasure Beach. The entire community was warm and welcoming and so grateful for our visit - and we were grateful for the hospitality! The children that we were able to work with were brilliant students, with wild imaginations and tons of potential. We were even lucky enough to get to know some of the locals and see all of the beauty that Treasure Beach has to offer. Thank you, TBF, for making our experience a life-changing one!
It's good to hear these positive comments about the community we have grown to love. Thank you to the UVA students for giving of yourselves.
I went to Treasure Beach with my Alternative Spring Break group, and it was the most fun I ever had in my life. That is the best way I can describe it, and it was far from an understatement. I've thought about how amazing the experience was everyday since I've been back in the states.
I also went to Treasure Beach with ASB. Spending my spring break in Treasure Beach was life-changing. I enjoyed every moment of it, from tutoring children in Sandy Bank Primary, to watching the beautiful, colorful sunsets and laying on the beach, to trying Papaya and Jamaican Apple. Everyone I met was so welcoming and kind, and I hope I get the opportunity to go back to Treasure Beach some day.
Treasure beach has a profound effect on people! I love the place soo much
FYI: Several students have submitted quite a few pictures to our Photo Gallery
-TBNet
Question to Ben E...Saw the great pictures of your working with the students assembling the Power House kit & model at Sandy Bank. I am curious about the experience that brought such delightful smiles to the faces of those young Renewable Energy engineers.
Firstly, are the environmental sciences your field of concentration?
Did you use the Manual as a lesson plan and how many of the experiments (solar cells, passive solar collector, air conditioning, battery, wind power generator, sea water conversion..) were you able to complete?
Did you sense that any of the students had dreams or ambitions to be involved in alternative energy fields? What do you think would be a natural follow-up, in succeeding lessons, that would hold the interest of this age group?
Thank you, and all of your companions, for your service and for opening youthful eyes to the "fun" of alternative energy and sustainable living.
May all of your Alternative Spring Breaks and Breaks In Life spring eternal happiness!
My ASB spring break trip was too amazing for words; as beautiful as Treasure Beach is, what really struck me as the most memorable part of my trip were the people that I met. I really got the opportunity to get to know the people of Jamaica when I worked with 3rd grade students at Sandy Bank, and it was wonderful to see how much they really enjoyed learning and how their schoolwork interacted with their Jamaican culture. Not one day goes by that I don't think about Treasure Beach and the amazing experience that I was so lucky to have. I can not thank the Treasure Beach Foundation enough for all that they have done for us. Without them, I can honestly say that my trip would not have been the same. I really hope to go back to Treasure Beach and Sandy Bank next year, so that I can continue to work with, both, the kids and the community that I have changed my life for the better.
Going to Treasure Beach for ASB was the best decision I could have made. I loved the entire trip from the second I landed until the moment we left. The people have a genuine niceness that is not seen in all places of the world. The kids were a dream to work with. They really were driven to excel in both school work and life in general. They all had their own individual dream that really made it worthwhile to work with them. Thanks Treasure Beach Foundation for being so accommodating and showing us such a good time.
The spring break in Jamaica was my best spring break ever. I saw the spectacular scenery around Treasure Beach. More importantly, I made friends with Mejani, Kemar, Elton and other smart and lovely kids in Sandy Bank Primary. Sixth graders, I hope you all did your best on GSAT. Mejani, I will keep the marbles that you gave me. Kemar, how did you do on GSAT? Elton, have you finished building the house model? I really hope to go back to Treasure Beach and see you guys next year!
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Jack and Taylor worked with Grade 1 students. We had a great time getting to know the students and accomplished a lot in our time together. Corey worked with Justin and taught him sign language. It was an incredible experience!